A Story I Once Heard
by RT4ever
Summary: A simple bedtime story to a child.


**AN: Okay a short (and I mean really short) story I began a few weeks ago. No action, no much of anything, just something that got into my head awhile ago and I finally gave in and wrote. Thanks for reading.**

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**A Story I Once Heard…**

"And there they stood looking up at the hand painted flag, the white dove gleaming above the barcode; they knew their fight was just beginning," the father's serious face instantly vanished and in its place a brilliant smile. "And we'll pick up there tomorrow; your mother's glaring at me isn't she?" He asked not even looking over his shoulder, but still at the wide awake hazel eyes staring up at him.

The young boy tried not to smile when turning to face his mother, leaning up against the door with a chagrined expression on her face. He turned back to his father, who was now facing his wife of many years, "Oh yea."

She smiled as she walked into the room before letting it fall and gracing them with an eye roll, "Someone was supposed to be asleep fifteen minutes ago."

"We had to finish the story and I still don't know what's happening with the Familiars, Max has all this writing on her," the boy explained in exasperation, _she just didn't understand. _

"Writing on her?" she shot her husband a confused look before shaking it off, she leaned over and pulled her son's sheets up higher, "The story is just going to have to wait until tomorrow, you have school tomorrow." She kissed her son's cheek, "Goodnight Andrew," she said in full mother tone.

"Night Drew," his father smiled once more as he ruffled the floppy brown locks.

"Night," he replied as he turned to his side, knowing better than to go up against both of his parents at bedtime, on their own he could get away with it, together…

"Lizzie go down alright?" the father asked as he always did when he wasn't present, she had been tucked in with a kiss to her forehead before he left her in the capable story telling hands of her mother, as he pulled their son's door almost shut, leaving just an inch of light.

Another eye roll from the mother, "I think I've finally managed to soothe her battered heart with the tales of Princess Max and her stable boy, Logan."

The father looked contrite, at the same time he feigned innocence, "I swear, it was Drew not me."

"Uh huh," she said, "blame it on the nine year old, Jer. That's real mature." She paused as she hit the living room and turned back to face him, "I'm going to talk to Steven's mom when I see her, this is all because of that damn tv show."

"Heaven forbid it would be because he's a growing, curious boy," her husband replied as he leaned against the back of their couch.

"He's nine."

"And nine year olds aren't supposed to know about sex," he mocked, in faux agreement.

"He's nine," she said shaking her head, "he's a baby."

He laughed, "He hasn't been a baby in a long time."

"They're never going to California," she said in all seriousness, 'The Springs,' that damn show that she swore put the idea in her son's head and therefore into his sister's.

"Considering we live in Rio," he teased, "I'm pretty sure we can guarantee that for quite some time, Dana."

"This is not funny," she said not caring if it sounded like she was overreacting based on the fact that they lived in a different country, _he was missing the underlying reason,_ "a pizza delivery boy. Sex with a pizza delivery boy?!" _Her nine year old! _

"He's at that age," her husband pushed off the couch and walked towards his wife with the intent to soothe, "he's curious," he nodded his head, "and he wants to torture his sister."

"He succeeded," she said walking away from him, bypassing him and heading for the couch.

"He was sick, they were on vacation, I think he just wanted five minutes away from her." He moved to sit down next to her on the couch.

_Lizzie did tend to worship her older brother_, she could give the boy that. She sighed and leaned her head back against the couch before rolling it to the side to face him, "Sex though?"

"You're a nurse," he said with a comforting smile as his fingers ran along her cheek, "you know the basics, little boys grow up."

"Not this fast," she pouted and rolled her head straight again. "And then the virus the next day?" Her daughter had tentatively stuck her head in the room and had barely seated herself on the edge of the bed when her brother had interjected that into the story as their father had gotten to the kiss.

He tried not to allow his fatherly pride to show, _it had been rather clever, granted no virus would ever work that fast. _While a virus wouldn't have worked that fast, the words had quickly ejected their youngest child from her spot on the bed and into full hysterics despite her promise to be good and sit quietly while listening to her brother's story.

"And who the hell are the Familiars?" her brown eyes widened, not looking forward to the answer, _she hadn't liked much of the story she half listened in on for the past few weeks. _

"Snake people," he quickly replied with.

"Snake people," she muttered.

He chuckled.

She turned and gave him a dry eye, "This is because of Eric. Had to throw in Eric?"

"He was key to the story," he tried.

"Uh huh," she falsely nodded, "sure you couldn't have found another way for Max to escape without throwing in Eric. Like having the boat on the shore," she offered.

"But then it wouldn't have been true to the story," he smiled, "and you're still mad that he came up with the cat in heat."

"You said she was acting oddly," she countered.

"And you were the one he compared to Mrs. Delano's cat a month ago," he reminded with lips twitching up.

She frowned and then let out a smile, "Didn't hear you complaining then."

"And I'm still not the one complaining now," he made a quick move that pulled her towards him.

"But Eric," she began again, despite that fact that she was now snuggled on his lap.

"Was necessary to the story, even your daughter doesn't like, boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, have two children and a worry free life."

"Her mommy likes it," she pouted and snuggled in closer.

"Daddy kinda likes it too," he agreed with a knowing smile.

" Logan?" she murmured with her face against his shoulder.

"I haven't heard you call me that in awhile," he said as she sat up to look at him, a hand remaining on his chest.

"Sometimes I forget that we were them," she answered softly.

"We still are," his hand covered hers.

Her head shook, "Dana and Jeremy Scott. Happily married parents of Andrew and Elizabeth. Living in Brazil because of jobs, education, financial and physical security. I like being us."

"I like being us too," he agreed, while deeply looking into her eyes.

"Max and Logan though…" she pondered it for a bit, "They were _interesting." _

"That they were."

"Do you miss that?" she asked, studying him. The sun streaked blonde hair, the golden skin, youthful despite the laugh lines and wrinkles no one could escape.

His head shook, "Seems like another life."

"It was, but you left it for me."

"I left it for us," he corrected, "you left it too."

"I didn't really get much of a say in the matter," she pouted.

"You gave up on your siblings for me," he amended, knowing she wouldn't have been able to stay in the life she had been living in Seattle.

"Real family or a dream of one," she shrugged, "wasn't a hard choice."

"And neither was leaving with you," he promised.

"Zack, legs failing…" she shook her head.

"I thought you'd appreciate me freeing your brother," he asked innocently.

"To have him come back as a love sick psycho?" she questioned.

He chuckled to himself, _he'd thought that was rather clever as well. _

She continued to give him a stern look.

"The story would have puttered off pretty quickly if I told him the truth," he tucked a loose brown strand behind her ear. "Max and Logan ditch the chicken-"

She chuckled automatically remembering the chicken.

He glared. "Go out for Italian, end up closing the place down. Spend the next few hours walking around hand in hand in the middle of winter…" he smiled, their first date may not have started out spectacularly well, but it had quickly improved.

"End up kissing under a street light," she smiled.

" Logan gets walked home because it wasn't safe for him to be out so late on his own," he put in without much enthusiasm.

"Logan talks Max into spending the night in the guest room because it's so late," she gently inserted with love and male ego boosting.

He smiled, "Burns the pancakes the next morning."

She laughed.

"Spend the day together and then the night before Max freaks and runs before the sun's up."

"Momentary lapse of good judgment," she tossed in with a look of shame.

"Spend Tuesday fighting," his eyes held hers with a firm look.

"But early Wednesday morning making up," she gave him a teasing smile.

"That was a good Wednesday morning," he nodded seriously.

"It was," she nodded back.

"Then lived in blissful ignorance until Manticore began a new sweep of the city."

"And Max and Logan ceased to exist," she said without expression.

"But," he said pulling her closer, "Dana and Jeremy Scott were born." He smiled, "Then Andrew and Elizabeth Scott."

She smiled, "I wouldn't trade them or you for anything."

"Not even Max and Logan?" he questioned, even though he didn't need to.

"Max and Logan seem a little too complicated for my taste."

"Marriage, two jobs, two kids?" he questioned, wondering where the 'uncomplicated' was in that.

She laughed.

"Max and Logan would have crumpled under that, more of a job for Dana and Jeremy."

"Considering Logan stood Max up for what should have been their first date," she gave him a look, then rolled her eyes upwards in innocence, "And Max bailed less than two days into their relationship…"

He laughed, "Thank god for Dana and Jeremy."

"Normal, solid, sensible Dana and Jeremy," Max concurred.

"That makes us sound old," he frowned.

"Ask our kids; according to them we're ancient."

"Logan and Max are still young aren't they?" he asked with a tender expression that hinted at more.

"I think they are," she smiled back and shifted in closer to him.

"Good," he said leaning in towards her, gently capturing her lips.

" Logan," she whispered.

"Max," he whispered back as he pulled her into him.

"If you keep Lydecker good in your story, I'll kill you," she vowed.

He laughed into her neck.

"Seriously, they figure this all out one day, I'd really rather they know who the bad guys are."

"Made for a really great story twist," he apologetically offered.

"It did," she sympathetically nodded, "but fix it or I'll kill you."

"Will do," he promised.

She let out a disbelieving murmur.

He laughed, "Max," his hands teased running up her sides.

"Oh that's right," dark eyes filled with amusement stared into light, nearly begging eyes, "Max is a whore."

He laughed, "And Logan is a pushover." Suddenly he was standing with her cradled in his arms with only a brief yelp being let out from her in shock, "Fortunately, Jeremy is not."

Her brilliant smile fell into a more tender one as her hand went to the side of his face, "You were never a pushover."

"I love you," he promised.

"Love you too," she smiled, "love you more when you fix the Deck thing."

He laughed and gave her a gentle bounce in his arms.

She squealed.

"Shhh," he said with a low laugh. "Wouldn't want to wake Dana and Jeremy's kids, would we Max?"

"Definitely not Logan," her eyes twinkled.

He started to carry her towards their room.

"Am I being tucked in?" she questioned.

"Sheets will eventually be pulled up yes," he answered.

"Do I get a story?" she flirtingly goaded.

He smiled as she was deposited on their bed, "Once upon a time in a far away land called Seattle, lived a man named Logan-"

She shifted into a kneeling position, "Sounds like a story I once heard, only that one began with a girl and her bike."

He came down to her level as he slowly knocked her onto her back, "Either way, it's a good story, it should be repeated."

"Repeated," she sighed against him, "I like the sound of that."

"Many times," he promised.

"They live happily ever after?" she questioned.

"Oh yea," he guaranteed.

"I like this story," was all she had to say. **  
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**And that's it. I warned you it wasn't much. I'd had a better end in mind when I began it and TOTALLY couldn't remember it tonight. I hate when that happens. :-P **

**Thanks for reading! **


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